27 Nov 2015

The Danny Ings transfer saga rolls on, and new reports this week suggest that Liverpool may have to pay much more than £6m for the 'terrific' 22-year old striker.

Nearly five months after signing Ings, Liverpool have failed to agreed a transfer fee with Burnley, and unless an agreement is reached ASAP, the issue will be decided by the Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC).

That may prove costly for Liverpool, and according to the Daily Mail today:

"Liverpool could be forced to pay a tribunal record of over £10m for Danny Ings...if interest from other clubs can be 'substantiated'. Spurs were willing to pay between £10m and £12m for Ings and that could prove decisive".

Is Ings worth £10m? Talented British players often sell for grossly inflated transfer fees, so by comparison, he's arguably a bargain at that price.

Plus, if Ings ultimately fails at Anfield, the worst case scenario is that Liverpool will make their money back (or close to it), so the risk is minimal (as compared to, say, £20m on Lazar Markovic).

That said, I personally don't rate Ings as highly as some fans. He grabbed only 11 goals in 37 games for Burnley last season, and Jamie Vardy has already beaten that in just 14 games this year (and he also plays alongside comparatively inferior players).

Ings is a good squad player to have, though, and that's probably his future. The presence of Benteke and Sturridge (if he ever manages to get fit) will severely curtail Ings' opportunities at Anfield, and like almost every Liverpool manager stretching back to Shankly, Klopp will inevitably bring in a top striker at some point, which will limit his chances even further.

Unfortunately for Ings, his Anfield future looks a little bleak right now, but he's living the dream at one of the biggest clubs in the world, so maybe he'll be content to be a squad player?

Of course, there's always a possibility that on his return, Ings will become an unstoppable goal-machine and keep every other striker out of the team, but I can't see that happening.